adhesive question for old timers

Rebecca

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Feb 28, 2002
Posts
3,338
Loc
Vancouver, B.C., Canada
I'm working on a piece of graphic art on illustration board, that was framed in the late 40's early 50's. The window mat was glued to the margins of the illustration board with an adhesive that has discolored to a dark orangy brown, and is brittle.

It's not animal glue, and I don't think it is rubber cement, because it softens/dissolves in acetone. (The old rubber cement that I have encountered is not so accomodating!).

Anyone from that era have any thoughts?

Thanks,

Rebecca
 
Careful, Rebecca.

I've met Jerome. He's pretty old, but I can't believe he was framing in the 40's or early 50's.

(Sorry I can't help. In the early 50's I was trying to learn to play nicely with others. Still working on that, in fact.)

[ 02-25-2005, 08:27 PM: Message edited by: Ron Eggers ]
 
Rebecca, How sure are you of the dates? In the UK certainly up to WWII it would most likely to have been the frame joining glue,often called Scotch glue,that was commonly used. As this turns brittle over time, it is normally so easy to prise apart the mount from the picture border.
In the art world a product called COW GUM,a very "rubbery" adhesive was often used and this did/does dry out to a yellowy colour.
 
Rebecca,
Have you tried warm/hot water. Some of the old hide glues would only disolve with heat and water. I'm thinking of the glue pots in woodworking shops, and/or the sizing used on raw linen for paintings.
Just a wild guess.
 
Ding, ding, ding I think we have a winner!

Jerome, gets the prize. Duco cement is a nitrocellulose adhesive, solvent acetone. http://www.devcon.com/techinfo/6245.pdf

The fact that his father was an architect during that era, and so would probably be using some of the same materials as a graphic artist, raises the probability.

I'll save a swab for future testing, just in case someone gets curious.

Alan, thanks for the mention of Cow Gum too. I'm sure I've run into this product too, so now I'll know what to Google.

Is Scotch glue a hide glue? Now THAT I see a lot of. (insert tongue sticking out gremlin!)

Thanks for all your help everyone.

Rebecca
 
Rebecca, Scotch glue, hide or hoof I know not BUT I do know that if you let a gremlin stick out its tongue in Scotland it will take more than a swab of one of your magic potions to revive or remove it. However,Cow Gum may be used to stick together any remaining gremlin pieces.
 
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